1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is broadly concerned with improved reverse taper grips adapted for attachment to an elongated shaft or handle such as a golf club shaft or a racket handle. More particularly, the invention pertains to such grips which are preferably formed as a unitary body using a resilient synthetic resin material (e.g., closed cell polyurethane) and having a relatively moderate reverse taper which facilitates gripping and use of a club or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Golf clubs and other recreational items such as tennis, handball and squash rackets typically include a grip adjacent the free end of the shaft or handle. Such grips may be a simple wrapping of tape or, in the case of golf clubs, an elongated rubber or rubber-like, radially expanded grip. Typically, conventional golf club grips are of tapered design with the largest diameter end of the grip adjacent the free end of the shaft remote from the club head. Similarly, racket handles have ben provided with contoured grips, see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,95.
Reverse taper grips have also been provided in the past, in the context of golf clubs. U.S. Pat. No. 3,837,647 describes a golf club grip having a reverse taper (i.e., the smallest diameter end of the grip is adjacent the free end of the shaft). However, the '647 grip has a relatively large degree of taper along the length of the grip, which has been found to be less than optimum from the standpoint of grip and club control. U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,891 describes very long gripping bodies adapted for connection to a putter and designed to aid a golfer in establishing and maintaining an efficient putting stroke.
Despite these teachings in the prior art, the ideal in a golf club or similar grip has not been realized, particularly in reverse taper grips.